Animated Nintendo movies could hit screens by 2019

Nintendo aims to return to the big screen, planning animated movies for its iconic characters.

Although no specific property is in the works yet, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima suggests that the company's biggest properties, Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda are up for consideration. Even better, they could be coming sooner than you think.

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Speaking with Japan's Asahi Shimbun (as spotted by Nintendo Life), Kimishima says the company aims to have a film in cinemas "within two to three years", and that he wants to keep as much of the production as possible under the gaming company's control.

Nintendo's oversight will be good news for fans of the developer's properties – the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film is still held up as an example of the nadir of video game adaptations. Animation, rather than a return to live action, makes sense too. Not only does it allow for less realistic characters such as Mario or Kirby to be brought to life without sacrificing their aesthetic charms, recent successes such as Zootopia and Minions have proven audiences of all ages will support quality animation in cinemas.

The House of Mario is viewing the movie business as a potential growth market, supporting its core gaming interests. Late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced plans in 2014 to "more actively" exploit the business' IP, including toys and merchandise and animated shorts.

Kimishima's movie plans may not all be centred on the silver screen though. Nintendo spokesperson Makoto Wakae later said that home video releases are also being considered.

There's no word yet on which studio may produce Nintendo's animated movies, be they big screen or small, though Japan has no shortage of anime studios to partner with. Its recent Star Fox Zero prelude, The Battle Begins, may serve as some indictor though – the 15-minute short was handled by Ghost in the Shell's Production IG and its sister animation house WIT Studios, responsible for Attack on Titan.